Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thinks Manchester United made the wrong decision to sign Odion Ighalo on a short-term loan deal on deadline day.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s desperate striker search in the closing hours of the transfer window was well document, as United considered a large number of options before securing a deal for the former Watford man.
Ighalo has not played Premier League football for three seasons after leaving Vicarage Road for Shanghai Shenhua in China in 2017.
His signing has raised many eyebrows across the football world, but it was clear Solskjaer could not acquire one of his first-choices for the future last month and Ighalo was brought in a short-term fix.
Mason Greenwood and Anthony Martial were the only realistic striker options available with Marcus Rashford out with a double stress fracture in his back.
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And Hasselbaink believes United should have focused their attention on signing two of the league’s most prolific forwards last month.
“I don’t know how much money that they have but it is Manchester United,” the former Chelsea striker said, speaking on Sky Sports‘ Transfer Window Podcast.
“Why, if you need goals straight away, are you not throwing money at [Danny] Ings for instance?
“He is flying is at the moment.
“Or [Raul] Jimenez at Wolves – throw money at that.”
Danny Ings has scored 14 goals in 20 appearances for Southampton this season and Jimenez has netted 11 times and contributed six assists for Wolves.
These were both better options than Ighalo and we wouldn’t be surprised if either were considered by United, but it would have been extremely difficult to bring them to Old Trafford with their clubs reluctant to sell.
